This was a wonderful debut novel by Flora Carr. They have taken a snapshot from the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, and made it into a fast paced story. Mary has been locked in a tower in the middle of a lake with her ladies and the story centers around their thoughts and actions while being trapped.
I loved the author’s quick style of writing, almost like a stream of consciousness. It makes for a very enjoyable read.
Don’t think the fast pace of the writing style somehow hides flaws in the story, because it does not. Flora Carr has perfected the despair, anxiety, pain, and love the women share while being held.
A highly enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing what the author writes in the future.
Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. The Tower is the very best type of historic fiction - the kind that gives modern voice to the injustices of the time without losing the edge of the period. This book manages to explore friendship, feminism, class dynamics, and politics within the tightest language. The closest comparison I have is Lauren Groff’s Matrix, but where that book is epic in scope and sweeping in timeline, The Tower is intimate and confined. It is such an interest note in history, while still ringing relevant to our current world.

There are two tiny details that I particularly appreciated: 1) while the characters of this book are always referred to as women, it’s made very clear that non are older than mid-20’s. To me, what they endure is made all the more tragic by this. 2) this is a me thing, but whenever I consume historical content (books, plays, movies… really anything) the smells of the time (particularly people) takes up much more of my brain space than it should. Carr directly addresses this disgusting detail and it not only heightens the claustrophobia at the crux of this story, but also helped my reading experience, as I didn’t have to wonder.

Very excited to recommend this to friends. Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday for access to an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This is not your grandmother's book about Mary, Queen of Scots nor is it a traditional vision of her through her husbands or the men of her court. Nothing is romanticized or glamourized. It is not a modern update but rather views Mary with an awareness that was lacking before now. This story made me realize that perhaps I had been misled in my assumptions of Mary for many years.

Although this book covers only one year of Mary's life, the author weaves her previous life events skillfully into this story. This one year takes place in a single room in a Scottish island castle that serves as a prison for Mary and her three female companions. Her treatment initially was shocking as the men took great pains to humiliate her in sadistic, lecherous ways. The claustrophobia and monotony felt by the women was palpable but so was the tender bond that developed between them. Although this is just a small portion of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, I loved how the author dropped bits of information about the futures of all four women into the story. I highly recommend this brilliant debut book that opens eyes to new historical possibilities without the traditional patriarchal lens.

My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

Gorgeous historical fiction that’s really well written! I heard a lot about Queen Mary and so I was so hyped when I heard of this one that let us see her point of view and it life’s up to it. Thanks for the arc

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the experience of reading this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
I read a lot of historical fiction but frankly it’s the World War Two books that tend to overshadow every other event or era. I relish in finding a new read that isn’t 20th century and rarely get the opportunity. I have a new era to explore! The Tower centers around a small period of time but a consequential time in Scottish history, the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots. I knew so little of this Queen, mainly because Henry the Eighth and his six wives take over books, film, documentaries, and Broadway musicals.
What I like about this book was the lush description and the friendships and loyalty (or not) of the women. You can see the lochleven castle and the tower, and can imagine their day to day lives. You can feel the class structure and hesitancy of the women as they navigate their new interactions. You can feel the urgency and anxiety of the escape attempts. And you can sense the angst of the communications received and what they do or do not say.
Book clubs will enjoy this book. I would recommend it to patrons, with a note of the graphic nature of some of the bodily functions and language. 4 solid stars.

One of those historical novels that takes a modern approach to its material. Carr tries for a feminist take on the well worn story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and as usual these efforts can seem anachronistic. Despite flashbacks, it’s in essence a chamber piece and can seem repetitive. Promising, but not essential.